The History of First Generation DMUs
The Railcar website provides information on the British Railways first generation DMUs (a.k.a. diesel multiple units / railcars) introduced in the 1950s.
The content of this website
The six key sections of the website are:
- Types - looks at each type of DMU in detail
- Topics - features articles on different aspects of the vehicles and personal recollections
- Technology - describes the technical details of how they work
- Data - various lists of numerical details
- Images - galleries featuring DMUs
- In Print - details the books and other printed materials made available over the years that have relevance
Details of railcars in preservation can be found on The Railcar Association website.
Date on DMUs
Vehicle / Set Data
To view details of a particular vehicle or set enter the number below:
DMU Images Wanted!
Do you have photos of First Generation DMUs? The more images we have the better we can tell the DMU story and make it more useful to visitors. Images can be loaded directly onto the site - just register as a user and upload! Alternatively if you have images on flickr or another website I can do the uploads for you - just let me know.
Scope
This website contains details about the First Generation DMUs. This includes the 4-wheel diesel railbuses, ACV / BUT railcars, the Battery Multiple Unit (BMU) and Blue Pullmans. It covers the period from their introduction to British Railways in the 1950s till their withdrawal and disposal from main-line use, but NOT preservation.
Because of the vast amount of data that this covers and the amount of information I have still to process I cannot include the DEMUs introduced on the Southern Region in the same era, nor Second Generation or later types.
Updates
April 26th
Added is a BR booklet dated 1959 listing all the brakework items along with part and drawing numbers, for Craven built diesel railcars. Download PDF (11mb pdf).
April 19th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Ely - March - Peterborough; Manchester - Llandudno; Leeds - Micklefield; Elgin - Keith Junction and Cairnie Junction; and Birmingham - Great Malvern.
April 12th
Three more fault finding booklets have been added: Eastern Region, 1967 (3mb PDF), Scottish Region, 1967 (1.1mb PDF), and Western Region, 1967 (4.9mb PDF).
April 5th
Added is an article by Alan N Walker "DMU Travels & Headcodes" detailing the units he travelled on in the 1967-1970 period.
March 29th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Lowestoft - Yarmouth; Birmingham - Barnt Green; Leeds - Castleford; Lanark - Muirkirk; and Birmingham - Bewdley/Stourport/Hartlebury.
March 22nd
Added is a BR booklet listing all the brakework items along with part and drawing numbers, for Birmingham built diesel railcars. Dated 1959, this only covers the Class 104s. Download PDF (11mb pdf).
March 15th
A page has been created for fault finding booklets, with the first three added from the Eastern Region, 1966 (2.5mb PDF), Scottish Region, 1960 (1.2mb PDF), and Southern Region, 1968 (1.3mb PDF).
March 8th
Some more operation/timetable pages have been started: Witham - Braintree; Wrexham - Chester - New Brighton; York - Scarborough; Corstorphine - Edinburgh; and Reading - Bedwyn.
March 1st
Added to the cyclic diagrams page is another Southern Region Carriage Working Notice for Diesel Trains on the South Western Division, for Summer 1965 (12mb PDF).
Latest Images:
Accident damaged Class 108 DMBS SC50611 at Thornton Junction on 7 September 1966. It is thought to have been in a collision that happened at Thornton on 31 August 1966. Roger Geach Collection.
One of Tyseley's Class 116 dmus (set TS500, 50061 and presumably 59000 + 50092) is heading for Longbridge on 24/02/1981. The train is about to pass under Raddlebarn Road bridge in Selly Oak, Birmingham. Geoff Dowling.
With few passengers alighting a Derby suburban triple DMU in green livery calls at Wednesbury (Central) on it's way to Birmingham Snow Hill. Just off the platform (Wolverhampton end) is the signal box, on the platform is a very solid concrete 'gallows' pattern lamp, behind that is an early Lambretta scooter with individual seats... Geoff Dowling and John Whitehouse Collection.
A Cravens DMU with a van as a trailing load pauses at Brundall Gardens. The train is the 10.24 Norwich - Lowestoft on 17/07/1979. Geoff Dowling.
Oldbury and Langley Green station on 3rd September 1966 had a lot of railway interest. Passing through with a Birmingham Snow Hill bound train is a Derby built class 116 in green livery. The station dated from 1885 as did the branch to Oldbury (right). The GWR water tower still has a residue of water pouring from the bag which suggests that a steam... Geoff Dowling and John Whitehouse Collection.
On This Day:
Two types of first generation DMUs in the East facing bays at Sheffield on the 30th April 1988, a Metro-Cammell built Class 111 with "Metro Train" branding which is off to Doncaster on the right, on the left is N678 (M53536 + out of view M53520), a Newton Heath allocated BRC&W built Class 104. Andrew J Crowther.
This is obviously a Branch Line Society railtour! Swindon Cross-Country car 51787 really could not have travelled further down the branch to Girvan Goods on the second day of the "Ayrshire Wanderer" tour on 30 August 1981. A few weeks later this car would be transferred to England (at Derby Etches Park). Jeremy Chapter.
Class 121 55033, set number T133, is seen stabled at Saltley on 30.04.1989. DMU's were rarely seen on Saltley. Andy Cole.
Cravens parcel DMU 53369 + 53367 at Leeds on 30/04/87. Roddy MacPhee.
A four-car Swindon DMU formation at Kettlesbeck (near Settle) on 30 April 1983. George Woods.